Grant at peace with losing Ferns captaincy
AUCKLAND: Silver Ferns captain Katrina Grant has made peace with the thought of not being selected to skipper the national side for the remainder of the team’s international season.
The Silver Ferns fell to an alltime low in April when they returned from the Commonwealth Games without a medal for the first time in their history.
A comprehensive review was promptly launched by Netball New Zealand to investigate the cause of the national side’s sudden demise. It revealed major issues within the Ferns’ leadership group.
Janine Southby stood down as Ferns head coach in July after her coaching style was pinpointed as the key reason for the division emerging between the coaches and players.
Although Grant’s role as captain was not identified as an immediate issue, the skipper was criticised for not appearing to take responsibility for the failed campaign.
But breaking her silence for the first time, Grant told Radio Sport that although she would love to continue leading the national side, she had accepted the possibility of losing the captaincy title.
‘‘Leading my country has been amazing. There’s no way you could ever take that away. It’s what I’ve done and what I love,’’ Grant said.
‘‘A lot of people have said I need to take responsibility too for what happened and I completely understand that, so if the new team is named and I’m not in that, that’s fine.
‘‘If there’s someone more suited to be captain then honestly that’s no worries for me. I just want to play netball and play for my country and win games . . . If I’m the best person for the job then I’ll take it, but if I’m not, then that’s totally fine with me.
‘‘I’m all about the growth of others and moving forward and just wanting to be the best for that black dress.’’
Grant’s Silver Ferns future will be revealed on Tuesday morning when Netball NZ names the squad that will take on South Africa, England and Australia in September’s Quad Series.
Grant admitted leading the team was tough at the best of times and said the Commonwealth Games had taken a major toll on her mentally.
However, Grant said her time with the Central Pulse this season had sparked her passion to play and she looked forward to stepping back on the international netball scene. — NZME